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"EU
research for climate policy - Where are we now?" |
Dr.
Phillippe Ciais, Professor at the Laboratoire des Sciences du Climat
et de l'Environment, gave an in-depth overview of scientific research
regarding the potential for carbon sinks in Europe. Possible sinks
include the atmosphere, as is the primary concern at the Conference,
however, it is believed that the oceans may be absorbing up to 40%
of carbon emissions, that rivers can play a role in absorbing and
exporting a portion of carbon emissions, and that sinks associated
with forested areas differ in their rate of carbon absorption depending
on the type of forest (re: boreal, temperate, tropical) and the
type of natural resource management practised there (re: clear cutting,
monocultures, natural, etc). These facts combined with current studies
display great uncertainty in quantifying identified carbon sinks,
their potentials for absorption, and hence add to the debate surrounding
measurement of carbon emissions, the use of Kyoto mechanisms, and
emissions trading.
Dr.
Ciais then introduced a new effort to combine climate studies regionally,
through an initiative called CARBOEUROPE. Carboeurope is to manifest
as a cluster of regional projects with a purpose of synthesizing
study in 5 key areas: the study of ecosystem processes, chrono-sequential
fluxes, ecosystem fluxes, regional carbon balances and continental
estimates. Taking an integrated approach, Carboeurope involves 10
EU countries co-operating with other developing countries and countries
with economies in transition, 25 research laboratories, 2 private
companies, and 80 scientists with the aim of studying macro-ecological
carbon transport.
Another
concerted effort to include science in the policy arena is ACACIA
- A Concerted Action Towards a Comprehensive Climate Impacts and
Adaptations Assessment for the European Union [http://www.uea.ac.uk/env/jei/acacia/].
ACACIA is an action funded by the European Commission's DGXII Environment
and Climate Programme, to review current knowledge of the potential
for climate change impacts in the EU, and to provide clear specifications
for future in-depth assessments needed for policy development surrounding
climate change.
This
side event presentation of EU-backed collaborative efforts in climate
change science signalled the EU's investment in the research and
development of practical ways to move toward viable compliance mechanisms,
laying the necessary groundwork for potential emissions trading
in the future. The event was chaired by Julia M. Kundermann, Scientific
Officer, Climate and Natural Hazards, European Commission.
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Modeling
International Negotiations: The Case of Global Climate Change |
This
side event was sponsored by The Fridtjof Nansen Institute (FNI)
and the Center for International Climate and Energy Research (CICERO).
Speakers presented a research project n modeling international negotiations
and the case of global climate change. Arild Underdal, CICERO, presented
an overview and the conceptual framework. Steinar Andresen, FNI,
gave a presentation on "Indispensibility or Indefensibility? The
United States and the Climate Treaty Negotiations." Andresen is
pictured below with Lasse Ringius, CICERO, who discussed "The EU's
Policy: What is Behind the Empty Rhetoric?" and Arild Moe (arild.moe@fni.no,
image on the left), FNI, addressed "The Development of Russia's
Positions: The Lack of Driving Forces (until now)." Moe noted
that Russia has only recently become a major player in the emerging
international climate regime and said the reasons for the change
is the introduction of the flexibility mechanisms, particularly
joint implementation and emissions trading. He said that given the
Russian economy's combination of extreme energy inefficiency and
dramatic fall in economic activity, Russia has much to gain from
the implementation of these mechanisms.
For more information, contact FNI at sentralbord@fni.no
or visit http://www.fni.no/; CICERO
can be reached at admin@cicero.uio.no
or http://www.cicero.uio.no.
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Interview
with Dr. Hermann Ott |
Dr.Hermann Ott, Wuppertal Institute, co-author of The Kyoto
Protocol: International Climate Policy for the 21st Century
(1999) and a proposal for a European Leadership initiative, talks
to Peter Doran about the outcomes from COP-5, responses to the proposal
and strategic developments among the climate change NGO community
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Climate
Action Network press conference
|
The
Climate Action Network convened a press conference in order to
provide an assessment of the Conference, identify what governments
need to do domestically, and highlight looming dangers for the
Kyoto Protocol. Lars Georg Jensen, WWF, said the Kyoto Protocol
process was suffering from "political schizophrenia." Jenson said
that Ministers need to give their officials more guidance to cure
the schizophrenia, f not, the Protocol could become a "licence
for industrialized nations to increase not reduce their CO² emissions".
Parties must also "ensure that non-sustainable energy technologies
like nuclear power aren't foisted on developing countries under
the guise of climate protection." The NGO representatives lamented
the lack of progress made on technology transfer and capacity
building and the postponement of discussions on caps. They said
CDM discussions had left developing countries "out of the loop."
From left to right: Athena Ronquillo, Greenpeace, Lars Georg Jensen,
WWF, and Katherine Sliverthorne, CAN
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EU
press conference
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Satu Hassi, Minister of the Environment and Development Cooperation,
Finland, on behalf of the EU, said the Union's Ministers were
satisfied with the outcome of the Conference. She said the most
important decision taken was that which empowered the COP-5 President
to take all necessary steps to intensify the negotiating process.
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German
press conference
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Jürgen Trittin (center), German Federal Minister for the Environment,
Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, held a press conference
in order to brief reporters on the outcomes of COP-5. He reaffirmed
Germany's commitment to reduce CO² emissions by 25% by 2005. When
questioned about the debate over the role of nuclear energy in
mitigating CO² emissions, Trittin reiterated that the use of nuclear
energy would not lead to sustainable development.
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Stabilization
of CO² in the atmosphere
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Geoff
Jenkins, Head, Climate Prediction Programme, Hadley Centre, UK,
for Climate Prediction and Research, discusses stabilization of
CO² in the atmosphere and the impact of climate change on society.
For more information contact Geoff Jenkins at gjjenkins@meto.gov.uk
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Interview
with Zammit Cutujar
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Michael
Zammit Cutajar, UNFCCC Executive Secretary, speaking with ENB
writers Juliette Voinov (left) and Paola Bettelli (right) about
the outcomes of COP-5.
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